The Government of India’s effort to reimagine the postal network as a modern, citizen-centric public service received a tangible push in Madhya Pradesh this week, as Union Minister for Communications and Development of North Eastern Region Jyotiraditya M. Scindia inaugurated six renovated and modernised post offices and announced the setting up of a major new national training facility for postal personnel.
During his official visit to the state from January 8 to 11, the Minister inaugurated upgraded sub-post offices at Kolaras, Jagatpura, Badarwas, Pichhore and Katthamil, along with the City Post Office.
The revamped facilities are designed to offer improved customer amenities and seamless access to the expanding bouquet of services delivered by the Department of Posts—ranging from mail and parcel delivery to savings schemes, insurance products, digital services and financial inclusion initiatives. For semi-urban and rural regions in particular, the upgraded infrastructure is expected to significantly improve service reach, reliability and operational efficiency.
Speaking at a public function in Katthamil in Shivpuri district, the Minister underlined that the inauguration of modernised post offices was part of a broader transformation agenda rather than a standalone infrastructure upgrade. He noted that India Post’s role has evolved from being a traditional mail carrier to becoming a critical delivery arm for banking, insurance, digital services and direct benefit transfers, especially in areas where other institutions have limited presence.
A key highlight of the visit was the announcement of a seventh National Postal Training Centre to be established at Shivpuri at an estimated cost of ₹111 crore. The Minister pointed out that India Post currently operates six postal training centres—at Saharanpur, Vadodara, Mysuru, Guwahati, Madurai and Darbhanga—which together train around 2,000 personnel annually and have already imparted training to nearly 18,000 officials and employees.
The addition of Shivpuri, he said, would significantly strengthen the country’s postal training ecosystem and position the district alongside established centres of excellence in postal capacity building.
Emphasising time-bound execution, the Minister drew parallels with the recent completion of the Gwalior airport project and directed senior postal officials to ensure that the Shivpuri training centre is completed within eight to twelve months. He announced that the foundation stone would be laid during his next visit, followed by inauguration within the stipulated timeline.
At a separate programme in Pichhore, the Minister also unveiled the names of two upcoming India Post services—Speed Post 24 and Speed Post 48. These services, offering guaranteed delivery within 24 hours and 48 hours respectively, are expected to set new benchmarks for speed, reliability and accountability across the postal network, responding to growing citizen and business demand for time-bound logistics.
The Pichhore event also marked the inauguration of the renovated sub-post office, upgraded at a cost of ₹2 lakh, and the laying of the foundation stone, along with Bhoomi Pujan, for a new sub-post office building to be constructed at an estimated cost of ₹1.11 crore. Together, these initiatives reflect a layered approach to postal modernisation—combining upgraded service points, new infrastructure and institutional capacity building.
With investments in physical infrastructure, workforce training and service innovation, the Department of Posts is positioning itself as a modern public service platform capable of supporting financial inclusion, digital governance and last-mile connectivity.
The Madhya Pradesh initiatives signal the Government’s intent to align India Post more closely with the expectations of a fast-changing economy while retaining its foundational role as one of the country’s most trusted public institutions.
